Learn to build your own cabin cheaply and sustainably and learn about the green building benefits of sustainable, green-living homes.
In 2013, I was living in a large city, but I felt it was time to pursue my dream of living in a little cabin in the woods, so I relocated to a rural area in Eastern Ontario.
Build Your Own Cabin
Since 2021, I’ve been living in an 18-by-24-foot cabin I designed myself. I did a lot of the construction work and managed the build, all without prior experience. This article provides valuable lessons learned for readers considering their own build.

Green Building Benefits: Designed for Efficiency
My cabin is a small, permanent home of 432 square feet on a concrete slab foundation. It’s a traditional wood-framed build with some modifications to allow it to better capture and store the heat of the sun. Because of the added efficiencies throughout my build, I call my home an “eco-cabin.”
My architect transformed my rough drawings into code-compliant plans. The front of the house faces due south with two large 4-by-5-foot windows. He designed the front overhang on the roof to optimize the amount of sun entering in winter and minimize it in summer. To improve the ability of my concrete slab to store solar heat, we doubled the code-required insulation (each area has a different requirement for insulation R-value).
Last winter, I only used around $100 worth of 11-inch logs to heat my cabin, with minimal support required from my backup heat sources. While the cabin is currently on-grid, all systems required for my basic needs, such as my woodstove, were designed and selected to function without electricity.
Getting Started with Green-Living Homes
Lot selection plays a crucial role in preparing to comply with code, and I shopped for land for several years. Finding the right land will make your build easier, so it’s worth the wait. Once you’ve got your land, you’ll need to consider construction.
My organizational skills from my work as a professional writer helped me stay on track. My research skills came in handy when I needed to choose materials, especially when designing with climate change and weather-related challenges in mind.

Although I lacked the experience of a general contractor, I brazenly assumed many of those duties for the build. This was mainly due to my limited budget, so I was willing to stretch my limits and learn new things.
I intentionally hired contractors who were interested in the eco-cabin concept and were open to including me in their projects. I’d immediately find out if I could do any grunt work to reduce their work (and therefore their cost). I was actively involved in virtually every aspect of the build in some way:
- I hired and coordinated all contractors (and assisted all that I could) as well as tracked budgets and made sure everyone got paid.
- I cleared the land for the concrete pad and oversaw all aspects of site safety.
- I stayed on-site and ran for any supplies needed, and I ordered additional materials or equipment.
- I prepared the well line for backfill, including several days of jackhammering a granite formation to lower the well line to a depth more protected from freezing.

The Remaining Construction Work
Once the cabin was shelled in (framing, plywood and OSB sheathing, house wrap, and roof), I did as much of the work myself as possible. As my budget allowed, I hired a handyman helper. Here are the remaining jobs I did on my own or with some assistance:
- All interior and exterior insulation and vapor barrier.
- Drywall sheet installation, mudding, sanding, and painting.
- Sourcing, transporting, designing layout, and installing used kitchen cupboards.
- Preparing the exterior for steel siding by attaching wood strapping.
- Digging back, grading, and insulating a drainage slope around the slab foundation.
Something that helped me achieve many of these jobs was being comfortable up on a ladder or scaffold. I gained more confidence in doing this as the cabin build progressed. By the time I was installing the strapping, I was up 14 feet on the front face of the cabin, raising 10-foot boards into place myself.

Jobs I Outsourced
When I decided to pay for a job, it was generally because I didn’t have the equipment or the expertise. So, I had my well drilled for me, hired the concrete slab to be braced and poured, hired a framing crew, paid a contractor to cut and mount the steel siding, and hired an electrician and plumber for safety.
I was able to hire contractors who were highly supportive of my overall concept. I always did my best to show appreciation for their work. Building positive relationships with them over the course of the build also allowed me to get great referrals from them for other trades.

I reached out for help when I needed it. When time was running out before winter arrived, my cousins stepped in with a work party to help seal in the rafters and install insulation. These days lifted my spirits and helped keep the project on schedule. I was fortunate to have such supportive family and friends in my life.
Challenges and Solutions?
Pressure to rush. Early on in the build, I allowed myself to be pressured by a contractor into a rushed timeline on a key element of the cabin. This forced me to hire the wrong person for an important job. Only by hiring a top contractor in that field was I able to get the expertise to solve the resulting problems.

Uncommon roof structure. The eco-cabin has a vaulted ceiling with no crawl space. The mono-slope roof is designed with a thermal break within the roof structure. Thermal breaks are uncommon in homes without skylights; they’re an additional barrier to regulating the temperature inside a home. Because this was uncommon, multiple contractors questioned my plans. I did some research, and then contacted my architect and a supportive inspector to discuss the roof design.
Hard-to-reach contractors. Good contractors are in demand, are terribly busy, and can be hard to reach by phone. I was initially reluctant to keep calling them, worrying I was bothering them. Over time, I got better at communicating and learned how to work with their schedules. I was persistent and polite.

Over budget. Due to lack of experience, I underestimated how much it would cost to complete the final stages of the build with the skilled trades. This led to the difficult decision to borrow money and incur some debt, rather than wait more than a year to save up the shortfall.
Final Advice
This is your project! No one else will be as invested in it as you are, especially in the quality and outcome. Set your own priorities and timelines and stand by them.
Get quotes in writing, at least until you develop a relationship with a contractor. Depending on your jurisdiction, this may even offer you some legal protection.

Be thorough. If possible, be present to receive large deliveries of materials. Check the invoices against the materials. Keep all receipts in one place. Know what can be returned and how long you have to return it.
You don’t know what you don’t know. Ask questions. Ask more questions. Clarify your understanding. For example: “I’m hearing that the range hood must be installed that many inches from the stove. What part of the stove do you mean?”
Mistakes are going to happen. Humans aren’t perfect. Your build isn’t going to be perfect. Do your best to prepare and help things go smoothly, and then let it go. It’ll all work out.
The process of building my cabin has also built my confidence. I’m now living my dream. This past year, many people came from nearby cities to tour the cabin and learn about how to live closer to nature. Whatever you’re dreaming of yourself, I hope that you’ve found some seeds of inspiration here!
Listen to the MOTHER EARTH NEWS AND FRIENDS podcast How to Build a Cabin House for Self-Sufficient Homesteading with Colette Kenny for more ideas and tips on eco-cabin building.
Originally published as “From Big City to Small Cabin” in the December 2024/January 2025 issue of MOTHER EARTH NEWS magazine and regularly vetted for accuracy.
Colette Kenny is a homesteader and professional writer with a passion for sharing her knowledge about sustainable housing and self-sufficiency. She lives on her Half-Acre Homestead, where she makes herbal medicines from the plants on her land and grows delicious food in her organic garden. You can find more information about her eco-cabin and her free course, “Growing Self-Sufficiency: The Whole Picture.”